Shock gripped Europe after the deadliest Hamas attack on Israel since the country's creation in 1948, killing at least 1,400 people. It was a shock that prompted European leaders to condemn the barbaric attack as early as October 7 and support the Israelis' right to defend themselves. Three days later, the 27 member states established a common position: They wanted to strike a balance between unwavering support for Israel and the demand that the Jewish state – a democracy – respect international and humanitarian law, and spare civilians in Gaza, which Israel has been besieging and bombing since October 8, at the cost of more than 3,000 casualties.

This balanced position is now totally unsupportable due to a series of blunders. After the untimely announcement of a freeze on development aid paid by the European Union (EU) to the Palestinians, followed by a sudden backtracking, the confusion was continued by Ursula von der Leyen. The president of the European Commission visited Israel and delivered a strong message of solidarity and compassion to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, partly glossing over the plight of Palestinian civilians.

This position angered many member states, as well as the EU's High Representative Josep Borrell and the President of the European Council Charles Michel – who, according to the EU Treaty, define the EU's foreign policy. To put an end to the mixed voices, the EU reiterated its common position at an exceptional European Council meeting on Tuesday, October 17, stating that it "recognizes Israel's right to self-defense, as enshrined in and constrained by international law, and emphasizes that the actions of Israel must therefore strictly comply with international humanitarian law."

These initial reactions highlighted the diversity and evolution of Europe's relationship with Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at a time when the peace process and the goal of a two-state solution, which Europe has supported for over 30 years, are at a standstill.

As a diplomat in Brussels told Le Monde, "In Europe, you have as many positions on this subject as there are member states." There's a broad spectrum of diplomatic positions, from countries that unconditionally support Israel to others that maintain a far more critical relationship and are more interested in the peace process.

Germany, which cultivates a "special relationship" with Israel 80 years after the Holocaust, has gradually re-engaged with the Jewish state since the 1960s and is now a staunch supporter of Israel within the EU, even though it distanced itself from Netanyahu's government before the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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